


Rickie Smith Hates Rocky Road Ice Cream

by orphan_account



Category: Rick and Morty
Genre: Alcohol, Child Neglect, Gen, Guns, Swearing, abandonement, morty why
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-08
Updated: 2015-10-08
Packaged: 2018-04-25 11:47:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4959463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The cycle of futility never ceases.</p><p>Or, in which Morty spends over a decade chasing something he wasn't even sure he wanted to keep in the first place.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rickie Smith Hates Rocky Road Ice Cream

"Dad?"

He was almost done. Just a little more and- 

"Dad, I'm hungry."

"Go ask your mom to heat you up some mac, Rickie."

"Dad, Mom's not here."

He tweaked a screw, trying to tune his son out. "Oh?"

"She's been gone for two days, and you never came out of the garage. I missed school today, Dad. And I'm hungry."

"That's nice."

"Dad!"

He was so close. Why couldn't Rickie just let him work in peace?

"Why do you never come out of this garage?"

Just one more twist and-

 _BANG!_ Rickie had slammed his fist into the wall. The tools on the foldout table shook uncertainly. His own screwdriver accidentally wrenched sideways, pulling off a piece of paneling.

"WHY DON'T YOU CARE ABOUT ME AND MOM?" 

Pattering footsteps, and then the slam of a door that rattled the spare parts on the shelf.

Good. Now Morty could work in peace.

\--

He hadn't noticed when he'd started drinking. It was just a few drops, here and there, and then it was just an "every few days" treat, and then it was a constant, every day, everywhere.

His son hated him. His wife was disgusted by him, leaving the house for days at a time. His parents hadn't called in three years, and Summer hadn't been around for almost two times that.

But he had to do it. He had to.

He had to get Rick home.

\--

It had worked. It had... Fuck. It had worked.

"What is that?" asked an amazed voice behind him.

Morty turned on his heel. It was Rickie, wide-eyed and open-mouthed.

Rickie began to grin. "That's so cool, Dad!" His eyes gleamed.

And then his grin faltered. He eyed the bags at Morty's side warily. "Why do you have your stuff packed up?"

Morty's lab coat fluttered weakly in the breeze that was coming from the other side of the portal. He hadn't wanted Rickie to see. The portal gun shook in his hand.

"Are you leaving, Dad?" Rickie's voice was oddly quiet.

Morty felt irritation swell in his throat right up next to the guilt. He was disgusted with himself.

He kneeled in front of his son. Tears were swelling in the corners of Rickie's eyes.

He was tall, for a nine year old. Morty hoped he would be strong for his mom.

"Daddy's just-" He coughed, trying to choke down the river threatening to pour down his cheeks. He remembered what Rick had said, twelve years ago. He felt sick. "Daddy's just going out to get some ice cream, Rickie. Okay?"

Rickie eyed him warily. "...What kind?"

Morty's face split into a grin. "The best kind!" He touched his forehead to Rickie's.

The boy giggled, but then grew somber again. "Will you bring me back some rocky road?"

Morty felt guilt drop his stomach all the way to the center of the Earth. Instead of crying, he smiled. "Of course, Rickie!"

"Okay!" Rickie was appeased.

Morty stood up and grabbed his bags. The portal beckoned.

"Bye, Dad!" Rickie called out behind him. "Remember my ice cream!"

"Will do," Morty called back, and then he was gone.

\-- 

Rick's face was amazed as Morty shot another bureaucrat. "Holy shit! Morty?"

Morty's face lit up, and in a second Rick was freed from the wall. The other prisoners chattered in anger.

"Nice jumpsuit."

"Thanks. I got it at Prisoners R Us."

Morty tossed the old man a gun. Rick weighed it in his hand, the cool metal seeming to ease his nerves, and then nodded.

"Behind you," he said casually, and then he shot the guards at the door.

Even if he didn't want Morty to notice, Morty knew. Rick was smiling, wide and big and honest. Morty had never seen him so happy.

Morty wished he regretted it. Morty wished the face of his hopeful son would guilt him into going home. Morty wished he felt upset and disgusted with himself. He wished he was a mess from abandoning his family for an old asshole who'd called him a little shit more times than there were numbers in pi.

Instead, Morty grinned and shot another bureaucrat.

\--

Rickie Smith hated a lot of things, but he hated rocky road ice cream most of all.

**Author's Note:**

> hahahaha im dead inside :^)
> 
> also ps I imagine Rick had Beth young and that's he's not actually that old and his adventures just wore him out early so he'd only b like?? 50 in the show?? so he's 60 or 65 here yea


End file.
